Tales and transformations

by Janine Roberts

We are all storytellers; we all possess a multitude of stories. As people share their stories with others, they name and shape the meaning of their unique life experiences and pass on their heritage. When the listeners become new tellers, they reshape the original stories, incorporating their own concerns, issues, and details, and so the same story is never retold as exactly the same story. In this way, stories allow for both continuity and change. Stories are central to the therapy process, since it is impossible for a client to talk about a problem without telling a story. Tales and Transformations shows how stories can be a powerful tool for helping clients understand themselves and others in their families and communities. The author explores three mediums of stories: oral stories, which are rich and immediate; written stories, with their symbolic and documentation possibilities; and enacted stories, which offer opportunities for dynamic involvement. She also describes six styles o